E Kala mai
by Mononoke-hime x sukai kurora
Summary: Kono Kalakaua remembered when she first saw Adam Noshimuri. At the end of the season two finale, Adam manages to save her life from drowning. Kono has a reminiscence of when her forbidden love affiar with Adam began.


_E Kala mai_

Kono Kalakaua remembered when she first met Adam Noshimuri. He was sitting at the water's surface late at night, with stars shining above his head. He didn't pay attention to them. He only paid attention to the sea, lost in its beauty. Kono didn't know what he was thinking at that time. She only remembered glancing at him, briefly, as she surfed. He seemed to be hugging his knees, and his naked feet were in the water. Kono surfed another wave, and felt his eyes on her – he seemed almost mesmerized by her graceful movements. Then he broke his gaze and continued to stare at the black water. When Kono finished surfing and swam closer to the beach, she realized that the person who had been sitting by the water's edge and watching her was Adam Noshimuri. She hadn't seen his face from afar, and now the police officer was hesitant. Kono knew that his father had been the head of the Yakuza in Hawaii. Hiro Noshimuri was dead, and good riddance. The leader of the Yakuza had murdered Steve's mother, attempted to kill Steve himself, and kidnapped Mary. Adam Noshimuri had attempted to kill Joe White, Steve's mentor, multiple times. And now here Kono was, a few feet away from his him.

Kono hugged her board to her chest as she walked from the ocean to the sand. She always felt more comfortable in the water than on land. Water was predictable, and she could tame it to her will. On land and on the ground, Kono had no control. A weapon could end someone's life, and humans and land alike were unpredictable. That was why at the end of her work day with Five-0 she always made certain she surfed, gaining control again. Kono was nearer to Adam Noshimuri now, and saw with surprise that he didn't look much like his father. Given, Hiro Noshimuri was in his mid sixties when he died, but Adam looked young – in his mid twenties at most, and Kono had to admit that he was handsome. She also noticed that Adam was not wearing a suit. He was wearing tan shorts that stopped around his knees, and his shirt was pale blue with buttons on them, which were loose his chest. Somehow Adam's eyes seemed sad and unfocused. He didn't notice that his enemy was across from him, staring, and continued to stare listlessly at the ocean before him. Kono slowly moved her feet toward him. Steve had warned his team to be careful and cautious of Adam Noshimuri, and here he was.

Adam turned his head sideways and saw Kono a feet away from him. "Hello, Officer Kalakaua." His voice sounded hollow and deprived of emotion to Kono. She glanced at his eyes, which were as dark as the night sky. He didn't seem to particularly care that she sat down beside him. Suddenly, Kono was self-conscious that she had a bikini on. She brushed off droplets of water from her hair. "I didn't know you surfed." Adam voice tore Kono out of her thoughts. Although he hadn't looked at her when he spoke, she saw that his hands were down at his sides.

"I didn't know you would be here," Kono said. Adam turned his face toward her again, and saw with a pang of regret that his eyes were dark with pain. "Adam –"

"I know," he said, ignoring her attempts at an apology. "I know you didn't expect me to be here, at a beach of all places, and at night." Adam flexed his hands, and it occurred to Kono that his hands were soft – not the hand of a killer. "I know you expected me to be with the Yakuza, now that my father's…" He shook his head. "You didn't know that Hiro Noshimuri loved the water, did you?" Adam asked her outright.

"No," Kono breathed. She didn't think of Hiro Noshimuri as anything else besides an ally of Wo Fat and a killer.

"It was his legacy to me." Adam vaguely gestured to the ocean before them. "His only legacy to me. He sent me here multiple times as I was growing up…to keep me safe." Kono looked away so that he wouldn't know that she saw his tears. "He didn't want me to become the head of the Yakuza. He wanted something to be _clean_ out of his life." Adam gave a shuddering breath. "After my mother was killed in a cross fight between the Yakuza and another Japanese gang when I was a child, my father saw the error of his ways, he shipped his only son off to different countries, to different regions, all to keep him safe. Hiro Noshimuri wasn't just the head of the Yakuza, an ally to Wo Fat, and a killer, Officer Kalakaua. He was my father as well He was the person who taught me to trust the water above all things. And now…he's gone."

Kono remembered of how she hadn't said anything to Adam at first. She only glanced at the water again. Someone had once taught her to trust the water above all things as well. And like Adam's father, he was dead. Kono didn't feel pity for the son of Hiro Noshimuri. She understood him, and left him where he sat to face his demons. Eventually a friendship blossomed between them. They always met at the beach where Kono first saw Adam. Kono was shocked to find that she could tell Adam anything, even things she couldn't explain to Chin. She wondered what he would think if he knew that she was friends with one of their enemies. She began to see Adam not as an enemy as time went on. He seemed to be more of a confused and lost young man than a malicious killer determined to follow in his father's footsteps. He had told her many times that he didn't want to be the head of the Yakuza. It wasn't in him, Adam said. When she told him to start calling her Kono instead Officer Kalakaua, she saw his first smile. It was a warm and genuine smile, something that Kono wasn't used to seeing. He nodded, and then Kono kissed him on the lips. The kiss was sweet and inviting, his lips full and tender. She tasted fresh scents of seafood and of the sea, and somehow she didn't want to part from him. When they died eventually part, both of them were breathless and they promised each other that they would keep in touch.

When Chin had commented that she had a glow to her weeks ago, and that he wanted to meet her significant other, she didn't tell him otherwise. How would she explain? To him and Five-0, Adam Noshimuri was the apparent head of the Yakuza. They certainly wouldn't approve of their relationship. Chin had said as much when she saw the fury in his eyes as she traced Adam from his private cell phone number. They hadn't spoken since. Kono remembered how Danny regarded Kono with pity, and Steve avoided the matter. Kono had cried herself to sleep that night. Adam was right. They would _not _see him as anything else other than Hiro Noshimuri's son. _"I don't see you rushing to tell Chin about us, or Five-0. They would see one thing. Hiro Noshimuri's son; the apparent head of the Yakuza." _Kono had wanted to scream at her team that they didn't understand. Adam wasn't what they thought he was, but she had stayed silent. She thought of her own words as she fell asleep. _"I didn't come here as a cop. I came here because I care about you."_ Kono did care about him – more than Adam would ever know. When she cried at the boxes that Adam received from Wo Fat, she cried for him and for the tears that had dried up inside him. She had been devastated as she watched Adam struggling to fight the demons inside him as he stood with the Yakuza. She knew his pain, and heard it when he shouted that he wanted Wo Fat dead. Kono pulled some strings of her own, and was able to free Adam from prison – far from Chin's disapproving gaze.

And now here she was, safe in Adam Noshimuri's arms. This time, he had saved her. She had almost drowned when she was thrown in the ocean, and Adam had swam to her, knowing full well that he would die. Her last thought was of Adam as she slowly went down into the depths of the ocean. _"I'm sorry." _She remembered the raw agony and longing in his voice. _I'm sorry, too,_ she thought. Then Adam came, and helped her swim safely away from the horror that she had almost succumbed to. Now her hair was drying. He was in her apartment, watching her closely. Pain was in his eyes, and she had a sudden urge to stroke his cheek. "Adam –"

He hushed her and held her tight against his chest. Kono could hear the soothing rhythm of his heart. _"E Kala mai," _Adam whispered hoarsely. He was apologizing again, only this time Kono smiled. She fell asleep in Adam Noshimuri's arms, feeling safe.


End file.
